The waste problem in Ukraine remains one of the most acute, even during the war. Every year, the country generates hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste, most of which never become part of the economy and instead end up in landfills, Ukraine’s Minister of Economy Oleksii Sobolev said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Humanitarian Media Hub reports.
“Ukraine generates more than 460 million tonnes of waste every year, but recycles only a small share of it, effectively burying economic opportunities instead of turning waste into a resource,” the official said.
The most tangible issue for communities is municipal waste. Its volume exceeds 10 million tonnes per year. Recycling rates range between 8 and 10 percent. The rest is sent to landfills. The system has not been modernized for years due to economic constraints. The average tariff does not cover real costs. Without a financial foundation, modernization does not happen.
The state declares a shift in approach. Landfilling should become the last resort. The priority is the waste hierarchy and a transition from a waste-based logic to a resource-based one. This approach underpins the new waste management policy.
After the approval of the National Plan through 2033, regional planning became a key step. Regions are moving to a cluster model. Several communities will use shared infrastructure and a single regional landfill. Ten regional plans across different parts of the country have already been approved.
The next stage is the creation of modern cluster facilities. One such facility can serve up to 300,000 people. It can process hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of waste annually. Donor funding and private capital are being mobilized for this purpose. One of the key instruments is public-private partnership.
Special attention is given to packaging. It accounts for about one third of municipal waste. The introduction of extended producer responsibility is expected to reduce the burden on local budgets and make recycling economically viable. The first pilot project is already being prepared together with businesses.
The war has added another challenge: debris and demolition waste. Its volume is already comparable to annual municipal waste generation. This stream requires separate solutions and significant investment. According to the new logic, post-war recovery should not be built around new landfills, but around a system where waste works for the economy.
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